Social Media and Athletes

 Social Media Matters In The Life Of An Athlete 

                                                                                                                                          Written By: Jacob Forton 

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Background: 

Social Media has constantly found a way to improve year after year, when you truly think about it, it seems as if when one social media app is on a downfall there is just another waiting its turn to takeover for a couple of months and then complete the same cycle. With brand new advancements in our technology and our expansion of our social media apps brings more opportunities for us to either promote ourselves or demote based on what we post. Because of this these apps aren't always the friendliest for athletes at all ages. 

The Problem:

People forget that athletes are humans too. Athletes just like any regular human live a life based off of choices and those choices lead to consequences good or bad. However, recently I have seen athletes ruin their reputation based on what they post and how they act on social media. Social media used to be a way that athletes can share their highlights with friends and mainly college coaches to play at the next level. But times have changed... Yes twitter is still a great tool for recruiting, but athletes are not watching their actions and it clearly shows with what they like and who they follow. It gets so bad that even athletes are posting themselves drinking and smoking because the pros do it. 

Whats next:

As scholarships are pulled from kids everyday based off the content posted. Athletes started transitioning into the use of "spams" which are burner accounts where they can post themselves partying where only their friends can view it. But why are athletes like this? is this because they have a different identity that they don't want the world to see, or are they doing this because their whole life they are told not to drink or smoke because its just gonna make it worse.

Finally: 

Athletes social media can be tempted and influenced by a ton of things and we need to understand not every athlete is a superhero. Athletes make mistakes however their mistakes seem to be pointed out a lot more than non-athletes but they are lucky because sometimes they get let off the hook and face easier punishments such as a fine or missing one game. So let's face it if athletes get let off easier and if they make mistakes and are just like you and me, whos to say they cant post themselves drinking partying and having fun especially when they are over 21 years old. Everyone used to do it when they were younger so what makes athletes any different? After all, they are prob just trying to relax when they are already in top shape and they hardly get any time off as it is and I know some people who crack a cold one open as soon as they finish work.